TIRUNELVELI
The Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam MPs and the MLAs who participated in the District Vigilance and monitoring committee meeting held here on Wednesday expressed dissatisfaction over the delay in executing development projects even after sufficient funds were allocated.
As the Vigilance and Monitoring Committee meeting reviewed the progress in Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Programme, rural livelihood programme, rural roads project, Swachch Bharat Mission, National Rural Health Mission etc being implemented in composite Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi districts, Tirunelveli MP S. Gnanathiraviam, Tenkasi MP Dhanush Kumar and DMK MLAs T.P.M. Mohideen Khan, Poongothai Aladi Aruna and A.L.S. Lakshmanan and Mohamed Abubucker of Indian Union Muslim League raised questions over the delay in implementing the projects for which Collector Shilpa Prabhakar Satish, who was chairing the meeting, and other officials answered.
When the officials informed that the district received ₹ 18 crore under MNREGP in 2018 and ₹ 19.96 crore in 2019 and of this, ₹ 15.50 crore and ₹ 13 crore had been spent respectively, Dr. Poongothai expressed dissatisfaction for not having spent the entire allocated amount for creating rural employment.
Ms. Shilpa said the farmhands, who were being hired for MNREGP works, would not come for work whenever farming operations in the district moved to top gear following good rainfall during south-west and north-east monsoon.
“Only after the harvest, the farmhands would come for MNREGP works from March onwards,” the Collector said.
Project Director of Mahalir Thittam Michael Antony Fernando said the district, having 7,546 women self-help groups, had created 225 women self-help groups during the current fiscal against the target of 150 SHGs.
When the National Rural Health Mission was taken up for review, Dr. Poongothai, Mr. Abubucker and Mr. Lakshmanan pointed-out that most of the taluk hospitals did not have adequate number of doctors and nurses forcing the public to get medical assistance either in the private hospitals or travel all the way to the Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital. “Most of these hospitals don’t have obstetrician and gynaecologists,” they pointed-out.
The MLAs also charged that beneficiaries for the Prime Minister’s Housing Programme were not properly selected and construction of houses under this scheme was getting delayed though these works were started 2 years ago.
The MLAs came down heavily on the officials and the contractors who were implementing the drinking water projects at a snail’s pace.
“Some of the drinking water projects are under implementation even after 10 years have lapsed. The Maanur drinking water scheme, which was started 4 years ago, is yet to be completed. Consequently, the roads dug up for laying drinking water pipes are yet to be closed, leaving the public in the lurch. How can we face the people as Assembly elections are fast approaching?” Dr. Poongothai asked.
Admitting that there was delay in the completion of drinking water schemes, the Collector asked the officials to expedite the work.
Mr. Gnanathiraviam said the old age pension had not been given to those who were really in need of the assistance while Mr. Dhanush Kumar complained about the delay in giving crop loss insurance benefits to the farmers from Sankarankovil area. The Collector said insurance benefits for crop loss would be given to the farmers from 4 villages in Sankarankovil taluk shortly.
Mr. Gnanathiraviam also said the Public Works Department officials were delaying the implementation of some of the projects even after sufficient money from his constituency development fund had been allocated. The MLAs also complained about the pathetic condition of Tirunelveli – Tiruchendur and Tirunelveli – Tenkasi Highways that witness frequent fatal accidents.
Project Director of District Rural Development Agency Mathrachalam, Corporation Commissioner G. Kannan and senior officials from various departments participated in the meeting.
